Lateral manipulation of defects which occupied single ionic sites on the (111) surface was demonstrated. Defects arose from the interaction of residual gas with the surface. Manipulation was performed for path lengths ranging from tens of nm down to a few lattice constants. A simple manipulation protocol was introduced which was based upon line-by-line scanning of a surface region which contained defects which were to be manipulated. The tip–surface distance and cantilever resonance frequency de-tuning were recorded as a function of the manipulation pathway in real time. A hopping model was suggested in order to describe manipulation when the tip–defect interaction was governed by repulsive forces.

Lateral Manipulation of Atomic Size Defects on the CaF2(111) Surface. S.Hirth, F.Ostendorf, M.Reichling: Nanotechnology, 2006, 17, S148-54